Comments - I Have A Concern - Atheist Nexus2016-12-10T03:14:11Zhttp://atheistnexus.org/profiles/comment/feed?attachedTo=2182797%3ABlogPost%3A1136025&xn_auth=noWhat is more worrying is that…tag:atheistnexus.org,2011-02-27:2182797:Comment:11394362011-02-27T13:46:37.799ZR K Sudanhttp://atheistnexus.org/profile/RKSudan
<p>What is more worrying is that the current turmoil is in countries dominated by one religion – Islam, which is least compatible with the concept of democracy. Suddenly everyone has started crying democracy from their roof tops. Worse, those leading the so called revolution are flowing with the tide without having a model of democracy in their minds. Some countries are better ruled by dictators and autocrats. Why are we after it that there is only democracy and that too of one kind, as the…</p>
<p>What is more worrying is that the current turmoil is in countries dominated by one religion – Islam, which is least compatible with the concept of democracy. Suddenly everyone has started crying democracy from their roof tops. Worse, those leading the so called revolution are flowing with the tide without having a model of democracy in their minds. Some countries are better ruled by dictators and autocrats. Why are we after it that there is only democracy and that too of one kind, as the ideal form of governance?</p>
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<p>Since we have built nuclear weapons, there is likelihood of their use one time or other. Any one with such arsenal in hand can turn mad. However, a devastating scenario more dangerous than the armed conflicts and political turmoil is fast developing in the field of economics. While rich are becoming richer the poor are already starving. Economies in developing and underdeveloped countries stand already mortgaged slyly with a few who have monopolized resources, technology and means of distribution in this world. A change, and fast, is needed there too.</p> We have to let go of individu…tag:atheistnexus.org,2011-02-25:2182797:Comment:11366442011-02-25T04:37:32.252ZJohn Camillihttp://atheistnexus.org/profile/JohnCamilli
<p>We have to let go of individuality, ego and desire. We must become a collective conscious, so that we are as loathe to harm each other as we are to harm ourselves. We must stop trying to protect our property rights and intellectual rights and national boundaries. Stop trying to make a profit and hoard for a rainy day. Of course those things are still necessary for survival <em>right now</em>, but as science cures each of these ailments, we must be ready to let go of our defenses of them at…</p>
<p>We have to let go of individuality, ego and desire. We must become a collective conscious, so that we are as loathe to harm each other as we are to harm ourselves. We must stop trying to protect our property rights and intellectual rights and national boundaries. Stop trying to make a profit and hoard for a rainy day. Of course those things are still necessary for survival <em>right now</em>, but as science cures each of these ailments, we must be ready to let go of our defenses of them at the drop of a hat, or we will be like the soldiers stuck on islands during the 2nd world war, still fighting to the death for a cause that no longer matters. Unlike those soldiers, our rifles will soon become death stars of one type or another, and merely being in the frame of mind that allows us to pull the trigger will be enough to whipe ourselves of the face of the planet.</p> There's a key difference in t…tag:atheistnexus.org,2011-02-25:2182797:Comment:11364362011-02-25T04:28:29.803ZJohn Camillihttp://atheistnexus.org/profile/JohnCamilli
<p>There's a key difference in this period of history that makes it scarrier to me. If you looked at worst-case scenerios for all of human history leading up to now, there's nothing humans could have done to whipe out all life on earth. Before nuclear weapons, no way, but even with nuclear weapons, humans still could not have whiped <em>everything</em> out. There would be lots and lots of casualties if nuclear holocaust happened, but once the structures and people capable of launching them were…</p>
<p>There's a key difference in this period of history that makes it scarrier to me. If you looked at worst-case scenerios for all of human history leading up to now, there's nothing humans could have done to whipe out all life on earth. Before nuclear weapons, no way, but even with nuclear weapons, humans still could not have whiped <em>everything</em> out. There would be lots and lots of casualties if nuclear holocaust happened, but once the structures and people capable of launching them were destroyed (and those certainly would be the first targets) there would still be some life limping on to survive. Even enough humans would have likely survived, radiation poisoning and all, to be able to carry on our race. But now it's different.</p>
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<p>Now we have advanced biological warfare, drone soldiers, and soon we will have grey goo. For those of you not familiar with the term, grey goo is nano-scopic robotics capable of self-reproduction. Like bacteria, even a small number of these nanobots could reproduce to insurmountable multitudes much faster than anyone could do anything to stop them. And there simply is no protection against something that can attack you at the atomic level.</p>
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<p>You may be skeptical about something like that being feasible yet, but you'd be sorely mistaken. Look up nanomotes if you think I'm spouting science fiction: this shit is real! We don't have them on the nano-scale yet, but we have made them as small as a grain of rice, and we have also begun re-engineering existing bacteria to do our bidding (like the oil-eating microbes that are doing a so-so job of cleaning up the gulf, or the cloud-dwelling microbes we can manipulate to make rain).</p> But John your vision may be a…tag:atheistnexus.org,2011-02-25:2182797:Comment:11360522011-02-25T02:55:05.687ZGlen Rosenberghttp://atheistnexus.org/profile/GlenRosenberg
<p>But John your vision may be a chimera.</p>
<p>You cant make an omelette without breaking some shells. History is largely have nots fighting to get some.</p>
<p>If you are arguing that entrenched governments are safer than reform governments you are correct in some instances. But Iran is a nuclear disaster waiting to happen. So it is hard to believe destabilization does not enhance security in that case. But I agree that many of the middle eastern countries could become more dangerous to the…</p>
<p>But John your vision may be a chimera.</p>
<p>You cant make an omelette without breaking some shells. History is largely have nots fighting to get some.</p>
<p>If you are arguing that entrenched governments are safer than reform governments you are correct in some instances. But Iran is a nuclear disaster waiting to happen. So it is hard to believe destabilization does not enhance security in that case. But I agree that many of the middle eastern countries could become more dangerous to the outside world post-revolution.</p>
<p>I dont think our attitude or musings on the topic will have any impact on the outcome.</p>
<p>The unfortunate thing is that when a people is so sickly religious that there public morality is utterly contrived no good will come from the change. Even if they end up with a nominally secular government it will still be backwards.</p>
<p>In the here and now the change mankind needs is atheism and rational ethics. Easy to conceptualize tough to implement. Maybe there is a transcendent stage to follow. Who can say?</p> "Indeed we are in an era of c…tag:atheistnexus.org,2011-02-25:2182797:Comment:11364242011-02-25T02:26:58.158ZDaniel Smithhttp://atheistnexus.org/profile/DanielSmith628
<p>"<em>Indeed we are in an era of change, but while technology surges forward, humans are stuck on the delusional philosophies that allowed them to have hope in a formerly hopeless existence."</em></p>
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<p>All eras are eras of change. While it is natural for us to think our time has some special significance, If one takes a step back it loses a great deal of its specialness. Our time is unique, just like all the others.<em> </em></p>
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<p>Let's hope that the current round of…</p>
<p>"<em>Indeed we are in an era of change, but while technology surges forward, humans are stuck on the delusional philosophies that allowed them to have hope in a formerly hopeless existence."</em></p>
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<p>All eras are eras of change. While it is natural for us to think our time has some special significance, If one takes a step back it loses a great deal of its specialness. Our time is unique, just like all the others.<em> </em></p>
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<p>Let's hope that the current round of revolutions (interesting word, revolution) helps those in revolt live the lives they wish to live. Let's also hope that theocracy doesn't end up as the default organizing principle.....<em><br/></em></p>